Why believers are to be specially remembered in prayer 3/3

  Third. There is a reason taken from the saints prayed for.

1. They exceedingly desire prayers.  The wicked, I confess, may do this also, but it is by fits—in a pang of fear or fright.  Thus Pharaoh sends in all haste for Moses when the plagues of God are in his house and fields.  The carnal Jews pray Samuel to pray for them that they die not; but it was when terrified with dread­ful thunder and rain that fell, I Sam.   Yea, Simon Magus himself, smitten with horror at Peter’s words, begs his payers, ‘that none of those things which he had spoken might come upon him.’  But at another time these wretches cared neither for the saints nor for their prayers. Pharaoh, who desired Moses at one time to pray for him, at another time chases him out of his presence with a charge never to come at him more.  But now, the saints are very covetous, yea ambitious, of the auxiliary prayers of their brethren, and those not the meanest among them neither.  In­deed, as any is more eminent in grace, so more greedy of his brethren’s help. The richer the tradesman is, the more he sets at work for him. Paul himself is not ashamed to beg this boon of the meanest saint.  ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,’ Rom. 15:30. Did you ever hear a beggar at your door, or prisoner at the gate, beg more passionately?—for the Lord Jesus’ sake, for the Spirit’s sake. If ever you felt any warmth in your hearts from the blood of Christ, or love of the Spirit comforting you, strive FL<"(T<­\.,2,, wrestle with me till we together have the vic­tory, prevailed with God for this mercy.
2. As the saints are covetous of prayers, so they lot upon it that you do pray for them; yea, take up comfort beforehand from the expectation of what they shall receive by them.  ‘I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers,’ Php. 1:19.  ‘I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you,’ Phm. 22.  Where,

           (1.) Observe Paul’s modesty.  He sinks and drowns his own prayers, and expresseth his faith on theirs.

           (2.) His confidence.  He doubts not but they will pray, neither does he question the happy return of them into his bosom.  As if he had said, If ye be faith­ful ye will pray for me.  So that we break our trust, and disappoint our brethren, if we forget them.

3. Saints are the honest debtors we can deal with; they will pay you in their own coin.  He that shows any kindness to a saint is sure to have God for his paymaster; for it is their way to turn over their debts to God, and engage him to discharge their score to man.  Onesiphorus had been a kind friend to Paul, and what does Paul for him?  To prayer he goes, and desires God to pay his debts.  ‘The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,’ II Tim. 1:16.

           Fourth. There is a reason taken from the saints praying.  There is no duty God commands but he pays the Christian well for the performance, and leaves him a loser that neglects it.  There is enough in this duty we are speaking to that may make it lovely and desirable in our eye.  The best of saints have ac­counted it a great privilege to be admitted into this noble order.  Paul thanks God that ‘without ceasing he had Timothy in remembrance in his prayers night and day.’  But wherein lies this mercy to have a heart to pray for our brethren?

1. It is a singular mercy to be instrumental to the grace or comfort of any saint, much more to be instru­mental for the glorifying of God.  This a gracious heart prizeth highly, though it costs him dear to pro­mote it.  Now in praying, though but for one single saint, thou dost both.  ‘Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf,’ II Cor. 1:11.  Paul, begging prayers, enforceth his request with a double argu­ment.

           (1.) From the prevalency of joint prayers.  When twenty pull at a rope, the strength and force of every one is influential to the drawing of it; so in prayer, where many concur, all help.  God looks at every one’s faith and fervency exerted in the duty, and directs the answer to all.

           (2.) From the harmony of joint praises.  The ful­ler the concert in praises, the sweeter the music in God’s ear.  Joint prayers produce social praises.  He that concurs to a prayer, and not in returning praise, is like one that helps his friend into debt, but takes no care to bring him out.

2. By praying for others we increase our own joy. When Paul saw the prayers which he had sown for the Thessalonian saints, I Thes. 1, come up in their faith and zeal, he is transported with joy, as an incompar­able mercy bestowed upon himself: ‘What thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God?’ I Thes. 3:9.  He had watered them with his prayers; God gives increment to their grace.  From this his joy flourisheth, and his heart is so ravished, that he knows not what thanks to God are enough for the mercy he receives through his hands.  Truly, the rea­son why we gain no more from the graces of our brethren, is because we venture no more prayers upon them.
3. This would be an undoubted evidence to prove ourselves saints—could we but heartily pray for them that are such.  Love to the brethren is oft given as a character of a true saint.  Now, no act whereby we express our love to saints stands more clear from scruples of insincerity than this of praying for them. Will you say you love the saints because you frequent their company, show kindness to their persons, stand up ion their defence against those that reproach them, or because you suffer with them?  All this is excellent, if sincere; yet how easy is it for vainglory, or some other carnal end, to mingle with these!  But if thou canst find thy heart in secret—where none of these temptations have such an advantage to corrupt thee—let out to God for them with a deep sense and feeling of their sins, wants, and sorrows, this will speak more for the sincerity of thy love, than all the former without this.

Why believers are to be specially remembered in prayer 2/3

           First.  There is a reason taken from God.

1. They are the special object of his love; his heart is set upon them, his thoughts and providence are at work continually for them.  Others indeed do partake of divine bounty, but they may thank the saints’ company and neighbourhood for it.  When the gardener waters his beds of flowers, some runs down into the alleys, but had he no flowers he would save that pains.  When once God hath got his whole family of saints home to himself in heaven, it will quickly be seen what God will do with the rest of the world.  God dispenseth the same providence to them both, but not with the same affection, not to the same end. ‘He is the Saviour of all men, but especially of those that believe,’ I Tim. 4:10.  He saves the saints with sav­ing purposes; the wicked he saves temporally, to des­troy them eternally.  He saves them from a present sickness or danger that they may ripen for hell; as we save our young wood for greater growth, and then cut it down for the fire.  Now what shall be done for those whom God declares so much love?  We cannot do less than pray for them.  By this we comply with God, and show our content in his choice.
2. God hath made them the proper heirs of all his promises.  Now promises are the ground of prayer. We are to pray for others, though wicked, not  know­ing but God may have a secret purpose of doing them good.  But when there is grace, hic se asperit decre­tum—here God breaks open his decree. The fountain of his electing grace, which ran hitherto underground, now bursts forth; so that now you may with fuller confidence pray for such a one.  When Paul begs prayers, to encourage his friends at the work for him, he assures them of his sincerity: ‘Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly’ Heb. 13:18.  As if he had said, You pray for one that God will not chide you for men­tioning.  It is an encouragement for a merchant to ad­venture when he puts his stock into a good bottom.
3. They are a generation that alone honour God in the world.  Indeed God honours himself upon others in their present lusts and future damnation. He makes their wrath praise him here, and his wrath poured on them shall praise him hereafter; but no thanks to them for all this, for they do their utmost to lay the honour of God in the dirt.  But the saints are a people who are not merely passive but active in the praising of God; it is their mother‑language to bless the name of God.  Whatever is their work, this is their end and aim—‘whether they eat or drink,’ to ‘do all to the glory of God.’  Now, upon this account, we are to pray for saints above others.  The first thing our Saviour teacheth us to pray for is, that the name of God may be hallowed, in order to which he directs us in the very next words to pray for his church and saints, as those who alone can hallow it—‘thy kingdom come.’

           Second. There is a reason from Satan.  His great spite is against the saints.  God owns them; therefore he hates them, and spits fire and brimstone at them. Where God is of one side you may be sure to find the devil on the other; indeed they are the only company that stand in his way.  As for the wicked, he takes himself to be advanced when they are exalted in the world; the father is honoured when the child is pre­ferred.  But the saints’ rising portends his fall; this makes him bend all his force, by temptation or perse­cution, to procure their ruin.  these are the stars he would stamp under his feet.  The first murder in the world was of a saint; and Cain will kill Abel to the end of the world.  In all broils and confusions of na­tions these are the threatened party, therefore they need our prayers most.       

Why believers are to be specially remembered in prayer 1/3

           In praying for others, of all we remember, saints must not be forgot.  The apostle hints this, by making them the instance for all, as the species famosa—or chief rank of men, for whom we are to pray; and it suits well with Paul's doctrine elsewhere.  We are here bid ‘As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all, especially unto them who are of the household of faith,’ Gal. 6:10.  Now this of prayer I take to be one of the most eminent ways of doing them good.  What greater kindness can a man do for his sick friend than to go to the physician for him.  By other acts of charity we give a little out of our own purse; but, by praying for the poor saints, we open God’s treasury for them.  If one should meet a beggar, and out of his purse throw him a few pence; but another tells him, I have no money of my own to give, yet I will go to court, and open your necessitous condition to the king my master; it were easy to tell which of these does the poor man the greatest kindness.  A poor saint may thus do more for another, though, as Peter told the cripple, he hath neither silver nor gold to give, than he who hath the largest purse of his own. That of Araunah is observable, where we have his bountiful offer to king David: ‘Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt‑sacrifice,’ II Sam. 24:22.  This was much, and showed his heart to be noble and large, as it follows, ‘All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king,’ ver. 23.  Yet one thing he did amounted to more than all this, which was his hearty prayer to God for David's acceptance: ‘And Araunah said to the king, The Lord thy God accept thee.’  He might have done all the other for fear; a subject sometimes gives his prince, because he knows he may take though he gives it not.  But by his pray­ing for him he discovered his hearty affection to him. There are several weighty reasons for this duty. First. >From God.  Second. From Satan.  Third. From the saints prayed for.  And, Fourth. From the saints praying.